Just to encapsulate - Becciu's people seem to hint that an overpriced domain name is what he designates as "classified" - super hush-hush. In other words, Becciu still thinks it is beneath his "dignity" to say what he was paying for in Australia.
Reading through this at first I thought it odd for the Vatican to go to an Australian Registry to register the domain .catholic. But reading through it would seem that acquiring the domain was an initiative of the Australian Bishops' Conference, and the Australian bishops would be doing the purchasing. That was in 2012. However, the Vatican sent money in 2016-17, which seems to be a long time.
The money was being transferred at the time of a very visible criminal trial of a senior cardinal and just at the conclusion of a Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. (For US readers, a Royal Commission is like a congressional investigation but without the legal protections of the constitution. Witness can be compelled to appear and to answer questions, any questions at all. Refusal will result in a prison sentence, which is arbitrarily set by the commissioners.) The Church was the particular focus of the Royal Commission and media coverage of other institutions was very minimal. Given that, one would expect some transparency of the transfers, since there would be questions about proprietary.
But what has struck me as odd is the Vatican paying for the purchase — who bought it? The Australian Bishops' Conference or the Vatican? If the Vatican, why wouldn't they go through their own Registry? If the bishops, why wouldn't the money go to the bishops to ensure money relationships are clear.
I look forward to following your coverage of Becciu's trial especially the money trail into Australia.
Just to encapsulate - Becciu's people seem to hint that an overpriced domain name is what he designates as "classified" - super hush-hush. In other words, Becciu still thinks it is beneath his "dignity" to say what he was paying for in Australia.
Reading through this at first I thought it odd for the Vatican to go to an Australian Registry to register the domain .catholic. But reading through it would seem that acquiring the domain was an initiative of the Australian Bishops' Conference, and the Australian bishops would be doing the purchasing. That was in 2012. However, the Vatican sent money in 2016-17, which seems to be a long time.
The money was being transferred at the time of a very visible criminal trial of a senior cardinal and just at the conclusion of a Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. (For US readers, a Royal Commission is like a congressional investigation but without the legal protections of the constitution. Witness can be compelled to appear and to answer questions, any questions at all. Refusal will result in a prison sentence, which is arbitrarily set by the commissioners.) The Church was the particular focus of the Royal Commission and media coverage of other institutions was very minimal. Given that, one would expect some transparency of the transfers, since there would be questions about proprietary.
But what has struck me as odd is the Vatican paying for the purchase — who bought it? The Australian Bishops' Conference or the Vatican? If the Vatican, why wouldn't they go through their own Registry? If the bishops, why wouldn't the money go to the bishops to ensure money relationships are clear.